Lake Isabella spent less per resident in 2022 than 97% of similar cities
Lake Isabella’s village government spent $559,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $331 per resident. The airport ($16,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Lake Isabella is run
Read from the village’s budget and official records.
$331 per resident in 2022: less than 97% of them
Lake Isabella’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($331 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $1,081, and the middle half spent $751–$1,663. Lake Isabella spent less than 97% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Lake Isabella itself left out).
About $331 per resident a year, or $0.91 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 50%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Lake Isabella reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,971 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.07% of the home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Lake Isabella’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Lake Isabella’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Lake Isabella →
Who’s in charge in Lake Isabella
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time village employee for every 844 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,688).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Chippewa Hills School District
Lake Isabella’s K–12 school district, shared with Barryton, Coldwater Township, Fork Township, Mecosta, Morton Township and more. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $14,701 per pupil, $8,592 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Michigan districts overall: 34% local, 57% state, 9% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Lake Isabella’s votes are counted by county
Michigan reports official results by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Lake Isabella alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Isabella County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican52.9%16,320 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat45.4%14,011 votesOthers: 1.6% (504 votes).
Most votes in Isabella County: Donald J Trump
Michigan: Trump 49.7%, Harris 48.3%
100% of Lake Isabella lies in Isabella County. Every 2024 race in Isabella County is on the county’s page.
Isabella County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Lake Isabella.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Michigan HouseState representatives
- 3Michigan SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Michigan
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Lake Isabella compares with the towns next door
Lake Isabella spent $331 per resident in 2022. Most of its neighbors are townships, a different kind of government, so the like-for-like comparison is with similar cities, above. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| Broomfield Township | $99 | $1,844 |
| Sherman Township | $127 | $1,495 |
| Lake Isabella | $331 | $1,971 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Lake Isabella’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Lake Isabella’s government
How much does Lake Isabella spend per resident?
About $331 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $331 was less than 97% of 291 Michigan cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Lake Isabella?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,971 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.07% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.25% across Michigan. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the village’s assessor.
Who runs Lake Isabella’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Lake Isabella yet.
How did Lake Isabella vote in 2024?
Michigan counts votes by county and precinct, not by village, so there are no official results for Lake Isabella alone. Isabella County, where 100% of Lake Isabella lies, voted Trump 52.9%, Harris 45.4% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Lake Isabella?
2 full-time and 8 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $11,248 (about $134,976 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Lake Isabella in the state legislature?
State Senate District 34 (Roger Hauck) and State House District 92 (Jerry Neyer). The House district also covers 28 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Lake Isabella’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →